Cup 2015

About

Football Club Pyunik was first established in Yerevan in 1996 and later merged with FC Armenikum in 2001. The team's name, Pyunik, translates to 'Phoenix' and the club have emerged as one of Armenian football's most popular sides. Since their merger with FC Armenikum, they have also established themselves as the most successful team in independent Armenian football.

The team's main rivals are the other two major clubs from the city, FC Ararat and FC Banants. The rivalry between Pyunik and Ararat is considered the club's most important derby, due to Ararat's status as the city's most popular side. The rivaly with Banants, while less fiercely contested, has an added element because the two teams also compete closely at youth level.

After merging with Armenikum, Pyunik were granted access to the Premier League in 2001 and instantly made their mark in the division, winning that year's title. That initial success provided a platform for an era of dominance for the side, as they won ten league titles in a row, culminating with their success in the 2010 season. In addition to their league success, the team have lifed the Armenian Cup on five occasions, most recently in 2013. The club have also represented their country in both the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Champions League, becoming the first Armenian team to reach the second qualifying round of the latter tournament in 2002-03.

Some of the most notable Pyunik players include names like Edgar Manucharyan, Gevorg Ghazaryan, Galust Petrosyan, Marcos Pizzelli, Artavazd Karamyan and his twin brother, Arman Karamyan. Many of those players were graduates of the club's youth academy, which is widely considered to be one of the best in Armenia.

The team's home matches are held at the Yerevan Football Academy Stadium, sometimes known as Avan Stadium, which opened in April 2013. The venue, which is part of the Football Federation of Armenia's Football Academy complex, is able to hold around 1,500 supporters.